Shelf construction



June 14, 1960 w. G. SMITH SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 6, 1958 FIG.6

United States Patent SHELF CONSTRUCTION Walter G. Smith, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Hussmann Refrigerator Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 713,632

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-93) This invention relates generally to shelf constructions and more particularly to a bracket support for a shelf.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction for releasably mounting a shelf on a supoprting structure. More specifically, it is an object to provide brackets for supporting the shelf, and retaining means for releasably securing the brackets to the shelf in a manner that permits the brackets to be moved between a vertical shelf supporting position and a folded position for shipping or storage of the shelf and brackets.

Another object is to provide a bracket adapted to be assembled on a shelf without requiring tools or permanent fastening means, the bracket also being removable from the shelf without the use of tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring hinge construction for mounting brackets on a shelf and for retaining the brackets in either shelf supporting or folded position thereon.

These and still other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

Briefly, the present invention comprises in combination with a shelf, a bracket having a side wall with a margin adapted to be engaged on a supporting structure, a flange connected to the side wall and having an opening therein, and means connected to the shelf and having a free end releasably received in the opening of the flange of the bracket for securing the bracket to the shelf.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and wherein like numerals re fer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shelf construction embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the shelf construction showing the bracketin shelf supporting position,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the bracket and shelf in folded shipping position,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the keeper member and bracket member.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is ern bodied in a bracket construction 10 for mounting a shelf 11 on an upright structure 12 and in a retaining or keeper member 13 for releasably securing the bracket 10 to the shelf 11.

The upright structure 12 is of conventional construction and includes a substantially vertical wall or panel 15 forming a backing for the shelf 11. A column of horizontally-extending vertically-spaced pins 16 or the like may be provided at each end of the panel 15, or the panel may be interrupted by an intermediate column of pins (not shown), if desired. The pins 16 are equally spaced so that vertical adjustment of the shelf 11 is permitted.

The shelf 11 is formed of suitable material, preferably metal, and includes a longitudinal body having upper and lower surfaces 17 and 18 and a downturned front flange 19 adapted to support a price tag moulding (not shown) for listing the prices of merchandise to be supported on the upper surface 17 of the shelf. The shelf also has a downturned rear flange 20 and end flanges 21. The ends of the rear flange 29 adjacent to the end flanges 21 are preferably notched or cut away as at 22 to receive the bracket member 19.

The brackets 10 and retaining members 13 are employed in pairs to support the shelf 11 on the upright structure 12, but inasmuch as they are identical only one will now be described. The bracket member 10 is preferably formed of strong n'gid metal and includes a first wall 25 having a rearward margin contoured to provide spaced recesses 26 adapted to accommodate three ad jacent pins 16 of the upright structure 12. The rearward margin also includes a lock finger 27 adapted to extend behind the pin 16 immediately above the pins received in the recesses 26. It is. apparent that the bracket member 10 can be quickly engaged on the pins manner.

16 or removed and adjusted thereon. When the bracket member 10 is engaged with the upright structure 12 in shelf-supporting position, the first wall 25 is in a vertical position.

The bracket member 10 is assembled on the shelf 11 quickly and efliciently without requiring the use of tools. In assembled position, the vertical or first wall 25 of the bracket is adjacent to and substantially parallel with the end flange 21. As shown best in Fig. 3, the wall 25 is relatively thin and is permitted to project rearwardly beyond the shelf 11 with the locking finger 27 and recesses 26 in position to engage the pins 16 by reason of the notch 22 cut in the rear flange 20 of the shelf.

A second wall or flange 28 is connected to or formed integral with the first wall 25 at the upper margin of the latter, the second wall 28 extending from the first wall at a. substantially right angle. The second wall is provided with an opening preferably in the form of an elongated slot 29 having a predetermined length, the slot 29 being formed in spaced relation with the free edge 30 of the second wall 28 to define a bar 31 therebetween. The slot 29 also extends substantially parallel with the first wall 25. When the first wall 25 is engaged with the pins 16, the second wall 28 is in horizontal shelf-supporting position. The retaining member 13 is provided to releasably retain the bracket 10 in assembly with the shelf 11, as will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 6, the retaining member 13 comprises a clip member 32 having one end 33 secured to the underside of the shelf 11 in any suitable In the presentembodiment, a channel-shaped member 34 is provided and includes outwardly turned flanges 35 secured to the shelf 11 by spot welds 36 or the like. The end 33 of the clip member 32 is connected to or formed integral with the bottom-defining wall 37 of the channel member 34 and is spaced below the lower surface 18 of the shelf 11. The other or free end of the clip member 32 is stamped or otherwise formed to define a channel 38 extending transversely of the shelf 11 or substantially parallel with the elongated slot 29in the bracket member second wall 28.

For purposes of disclosure, the present embodiment of the clip member 32 includes a spring leaf portion 39 (Fig. 6) extending angularly upwardly from the bottom wall 37 of the channel member 34 and having a first 6 gated slot receiving the arcu'ate lip of the free end porher is positioned, said second portion also including an tion therein. arcuate abutment in contact with the bracket adjacent to 8. In a shelf construction including a shelf and a the opening therein. bracket having a first wall engageable with an upright References Cited in the filc of this patent support and a second Wall for supporting the shelf; the 5 improvement which comprises retaining means for releas- UNITED STATES PATENTS ably mounting the bracket on the shelf, said retaining 447,758 Cash Mar. 10, 1891 means including a clip member having a first portion con- 449,134 Porter Mar. 31, 1891 nected to the shelf, a second portion engaged with the 930,734 Dahl Aug. 10, 1909 bracket and a spring portion connecting said first and 10 1,973,829 Tobold Sept. 18, 1934 second portions, said second wall of the bracket having 2,845,187 Bianchi July 29, 1958 an opening in which the second portion of said clip mem- 2.879.561 Rieder Mar. 31, 1959 

